Pages

Tuesday, August 28, 2012

Review: The Later New Testament Writings and Scripture

The Blurb:

Many thanks goes to Steve Moyise who has given us in The Later New Testament Writings and Scripture a dependable and reader friendly handbook on a complex subject that will be a classic in its field for years to come.

Steve Moyise (hereafter SM), professor of New Testament at
the University of Chichester and most known for his work in the area of the New
Testament’s use of the Old, has provided the NT student with yet another
helpful handbook on this subject.The Later New Testament Writings and
Scripture (hereafter LNTWS) is
the third, and presumably the last, in a series of books on the topic of the NT
and Scripture (see the title).SM first published Paul and
Scripture (2010),and soon followed
it up with Jesus and Scripture (2011).This series proposes to “consider the use of Scripture” in three
divisions of the NT, that is the Gospels, Pauline Letters, and the rest.Each of his three book in this series
parallels, SM states, IVP’s series of dictionaries, LNTWS following The Later New
Testament Writings and Scripture volume.

LNTWS consists
of an introduction, five chapters that are categorized by NT books, and a
conclusion.In its approach, LNTWS is pragmatic.First, the chapter order is of note
since SM does not follow canonical order.The book begins in Acts and then skips to a chapter on “1 Peter and
Scripture.”SM says concerning his
move from Acts to 1 Peter, “Although the order of the books in the New
Testament would suggest that we turn to Hebrews next, it will be more useful to
follow Acts with a study of 1 Peter, since the first part of Acts was devoted
to Peter’s speeches” (42).He notes
that the comparison between the use of the Psalms in Peter’s speeches in Acts
and their use in 1 Peter is of specific interest to his study.SM continues to move about the NT canon
pragmatically as he sees connection between books best made by traditional
authorial suppositions and topical content rather than canonical order.Thus, after 1 Peter SM treats “Jude, 2 Peter
and James and Scripture.” He then devotes the final two chapters to Hebrews and
Revelation.

Secondly, SM studies each of the Later NT use
of the OT uniquely; as he sees each book of the NT using the OT. His first
chapter on Acts is investigated by how the OT informs a theological topic,
including: “Salvation for Jews and Gentiles”; “Christ’s death, resurrection and
exaltation”; Christological titles and functions”; “Judgment”; “Major
interpretations of Acts and Scripture”; etc.Next, SM investigates both in chapters on 1 Peter, and Jude,
2 Peter and James simply by following which OT book is being quoted.These two chapters also include
treatments of the quotations and allusions to 1 Enoch.In the
chapter on Hebrews, SM investigates the OT quotations primarily with reference
to pericopes in Hebrews, namely: Hebrews 1.5-14; Hebrews 2.6-13; Hebrews
10.19-39; “The cloud of witnesses in Hebrews 11”; “Miscellaneous quotations in
Hebrews 12-13”; but like the three preceding chapters, SM also covers some topics
in Hebrews as they relate to OT use (“High Priest like Melchizedek in Hebrews
5.5-7.28”; “The cloud of witnesses in Hebrews 11” could fit here as well; and a
special section on “Philo on Cain and Abel”); and finally studies other topics
in Hebrews by the specific “traditional” OT passages in Hebrews (“Psalm
95.7-11”; “Psalm 110 in Hebrews”; “Jeremiah 31.31-34 in Hebrews 8-10”; and subsumed under the previously noted
Hebrews 10.19-39 is a section on “Habakkuk 2.3-4 in Hebrews 10.37-38”).Last, SM covers Revelation.As he notes, “John does not quote
Scripture but his visions allude to numerous biblical passages…” (111).Thus, SM studies these allusions
topically, under the headings: “God, Jesus and the Spirit”; Dragon, beast and
false prophet”; “Judgment and disasters”;“Witness and struggle”; “Final salvation”.SM concludes his study on Revelation with a short excurses
on the Letters of John and Scripture that covers “Cain and Abel and Other
allusions”.

Finally, of objective observation, SM includes
two helpful features to his book.First, throughout LNTWS grey
boxes provide the reader a closer look at a specific topic just mentioned in
the text.Some include:
Typological Interpretation; The Enoch Literature; The canon of Scripture;
Introductory formulas in Hebrews; Philo on Cain and Abel; etc.Each of these is one long paragraph
that orients the reader with a brief definition of a critical topic.Second, he has a two-page
appendix of “quotations in the later writings of the New Testament” according
to the UBS critical edition of the NT.These two, but especially the grey boxes, fill in assumed material that
his supposed audience, which I will discuss below, would not likely be aware
of.

It
is customary to reserve recommendations for the end of a review, but it seems
necessary with regard to the points I will highlight in LNTWS that I suggest a readership for this book.Though in this volume SM does not
propose an audience, two come to mind to me as I read this book.This book is suited best for the seminary
or graduate student, and non-specialist, like a pastor or specialist in another
field, both who would be looking for an informed introduction to a vast area of
scholarship in an economy of time and pages.This being said, I will comment on a couple salient points
in the work that stood out to me as helpful.

First, SM has a keen ability to make technical
issues limpid to those who are not ‘in the know’.One such area is the so-called LXX in the writings of the
Later NT, and of course the broader NT.In very non-threatening ways, SM takes account of the LXX and its
interpretive use in the writings of the NT. In Acts 13.40-41, for example, SM points out to his reader
that the Habakkuk 1.5 quotation in Acts will look different than “the one that
came down to us [in Hebrew]”, that is, what one would see if one were to turn
to Habakkuk in their English Bible.He helps his readers to see and understand why this is by briefly noting
the discrepancy in words such as ‘nations’/’scoffers’ and ‘perish’/’astounded’
and making reference to the linguistic legacy of Luke’s possible source to a
DSS commentary on Habakkuk.The
payoff for the reader here is that SM spared much of the details reserved for
specialist attention, but gave enough detail to the reader to assure that they
were informed of the most salient points.From here SM can make a redemptive point, that is, that Paul means his
audience to know that “God will judge ‘scoffers’ by means of the proclamation of
the gospel” (27).

Secondly, SM’s chapter on the OT in Hebrews
gives a framework for the many (37) explicit OT quotations and many more allusions.
His treatment of Hebrews enables
his reader to observe the skilled Jewish exegesis employed in this NT book.Quoting Susan Docherty (2009), SM
observes, “‘originally separate and independent passages of scripture’ can
speak in unison: ‘The author of Hebrews as much as any Jewish exegete… regarded
it as legitimate interpretation to seek out what scriptural texts imply as much
as what they actually say, presumably believing that the new meaning…was inherent
in the original revelation, which he regarded as having endless depths of
meaning and real contemporary relevance’” (87).Rounding out the Hebrews chapter, SM does not dodge the
authorship issues, possibly submitting an implicit vote for Paul.He says, “Although few scholars today
believe that Hebrews was written by the apostle Paul, it (Hebrews) clearly
comes from a mind every bit as sharp and knowledgeable of Jewish tradition”
(110).

The Later
New Testament Writings and Scripture, SM’s latest addition to his and Scripture series, was a joy to read
and will serve a wide audience very well.Of course, it would be easy in a slim book such as this that one could
claim that this or that point could have gained a bit more attention.But the coverage of the primary issues
in this field, especially concerning the area of the later NT, and the helpful
way for which SM covered these issues should be commended. I can see this book,
along with the two previous in this series, becoming useful companions along
side particularly Carson and Beale’s OT in the New commentary.Additionally, this book is an accessible yet not ‘dumbed-down’ intro that
would serve seminarians and pastors who do not have traditionally have course space
or time for education in Jewish exegesis and LXX quotation in the NT. Many thanks goes to Steve
Moyise who has given us in The Later New Testament
Writings and Scripture a dependable and reader friendly handbook
on a complex subject that will be a classic in its field for years to come.